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Ever wondered how to cook nopales at home? It’s so easy! I’ll fill you in on everything you need to know when it comes to choosing and cooking cactus paddles, including 2 of my favorite cooking methods. Pretty soon you’ll be pairing this delicious veggie with your Mexican-inspired meals or enjoying it with a simple chimichurri drizzle. YUM!
🌵 What Makes This Recipe So Good
- Knowing how to cook nopales is great for a lot of reasons. 1) It’s another easy dish to keep in your back pocket. 2) Nopales are really versatile. 3) They’re delicious. 4) They’re good for you. 5) They’re low carb, keto-friendly, gluten free, dairy free, vegan, vegetarian, paleo, and Whole30-compatible.
- Speaking of “good for you”… Besides fitting various dietary needs, nopal cactus pads contain a bunch of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. They’re anti-inflammatory and a good fiber source. Some studies even show they may give your immune system a boost, may lower blood sugar levels, and may help reduce cholesterol.
- Nopales make a great stand-in for meat in dishes like tacos and burritos, in much the same way you’d use eggplant in lasagna or mushrooms for burger buns. They’re hearty and meaty, super tender with a really subtle flavor.
👀 How to Choose Nopales
- Look for paddles that are flexible, but not soft. If they’re floppy or flimsy, keep looking until you find ones that just bend, with a little bit of give.
- They should be bright green, without dark spots. The brighter the better!
- Try to get paddles that are 6-8 inches long. Smaller nopales are more tender, but also more difficult to work with. Larger nopales can be tough or stringy.
👩🏼🍳 Chef’s Tips
- Handling nopales can be a little tricky… they’re prickly pear cactus leaves, after all! Usually when you get nopales at the grocery store, most of the thorns have already been removed. You may still need to do a little trimming, though. Hold the cactus paddles with tongs or a kitchen towel so you’re not grabbing the thorns directly. They can be sharp! You can also wear gloves if that’s easier.
- If you happen to live in the southwestern United States or Mexico, where prickly pear cacti abound, then you’re probably already familiar with where to find and how to cook nopales. They’re typically available at most grocery stores out that way – I know HEB carried a mess of them when I lived in Austin! If you’re further out, though, you may need to visit a well-stocked international market to find your cactus pads.
🥗 Ways to Use Nopales
- On their own, tossed in chimichurri and then topped with a sprinkle of shredded pepper jack.
- In tacos, with chicken, beef, steak, or shrimp.
- With carne asada, rice, beans, and grilled or sautéed onions.
- Stuffed into burritos, folded into quesadillas, or added to fajitas.
- As the base for salads or an add-in for burrito bowls.
- Inside a Mexican omelette or breakfast tacos, with huevos rancheros, or as part of a chorizo breakfast bowl.
🌮 Mexican-Inspired Recipes We Can’t Get Enough Of
- Mexican Chicken and Rice Bake
- Tuna Tostadas
- Keto Tacos with Homemade Keto Tortillas
- Mexican Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes (Whole30, Paleo, Instant Pot)
- Crispy Cheesy Refried Bean Tacos
- Burrito Suizo
How to Cook Nopales (Cactus Paddles)
A perfect, meaty veggie that's phenomenal in Mexican-inspired meals or tossed with a little chimichurri!
servings
Equipment
- Tongs optional, see Notes
- gloves or kitchen towel, optional; see Notes
- Cutting board
- Sharp knife or potato peeler
- running water
- Large pot with lid if boiling nopales
- medium skillet with lid if sweating nopales
- colander or strainer
Ingredients
For Boiled Nopales
- 4 medium nopales paddles 5-8 inches long, approximately 1 pound
- 1-2 teaspoons salt more or less to taste
- 3 cloves garlic smashed
For Sweated Nopales
- 4 medium nopales paddles 5-8 inches long, approximately 1 pound
- 1 teaspoon salt more or less to taste
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil avocado oil, olive oil, etc.
Instructions
To Prepare the Nopales
- Use knife (or potato peeler) to carefully remove knobs and thorns from paddles. Work inward, moving from end of nopales toward thick base using gentle sawing motion. Leave as much skin on paddles as possible.
- Once knobs and thorns are removed, carefully trim paddles. Remove approximately ¼-inch from end of nopales and approximately ½-inch from thick base of nopales.
- Wash trimmed nopales under running water, then slice paddles into strips or squares. Set aside.
For Boiled Nopales
- Fill large pot with water and salt well. Add smashed garlic cloves to water and place pot over high heat. Bring water to boil.
- Once liquid begins to boil rapidly, add prepared nopales to pot. Cover pot with lid and boil nopales 8 to 10 minutes or until paddles are tender and mucilage has seeped out.
- Carefully pour liquid and nopales through colander or strainer. Rinse boiled nopales well under running water to remove any remaining mucilage, then enjoy as desired. See Notes for serving suggestions.
For Sweated Nopales
- Heat medium skillet over medium-high heat. When skillet is hot, add 1 tablespoon neutral oil and swirl pan to coat. Heat oil until hot and shimmering, then add prepared nopales to skillet and generously sprinkle salt over.
- Reduce heat to medium and cover skillet with lid. Let nopales cook, covered, 20 minutes, or until mucilage has evaporated.
- Remove skillet from heat and use sweated nopales as desired.
- The thorns on nopales can be sharp. Use tongs and/or wear gloves (or use a kitchen towel) to handle the paddles as you trim off the thorns and knobs.
- The mucilage (a.k.a. baba) from the nopales is safe to eat, but it’s gelatinous, and the sliminess can be unappealing.
- Leftovers: Leftover nopales can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 2 weeks.
Serving Suggestions for Boiled Nopales
To Enjoy on Their Own
- Follow directions above for boiling nopales. Strain and rinse nopales well, then return boiled nopales to pot.
- Add chimichurri sauce and toss nopales to coat completely, then sprinkle shredded pepper jack cheese over.
- Cover pot with lid and remove pot from heat. Keep covered until cheese has melted, then serve nopales as-is.
To Use in Salads, Tacos, etc.
- Follow directions above for boiling nopales. Strain and rinse nopales well, then use boiled nopales as desired in salads, tacos, burritos, etc.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Serving Size: 1servingCalories: 21calProtein: 2gFat: 0.1gSaturated Fat: 0.02gSodium: 606mgPotassium: 301mgTotal Carbs: 5gFiber: 3gSugar: 1gNet Carbs: 2gVitamin A: 518IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 190mgIron: 1mg
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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I really enjoyed cleaning, cooking and eating mi delicious nopales on my tacos and salads.
So glad to hear it!
Why is the slime not desired ? Is it bad for you? My mom’s from Mexico City and the way she learned to cook it was to leave it slimy and use little or no water. I’ve made it that way too, but all online say drain the slime. To me it seems it will be all dry and less natural flavor.
Isabel, Yes you can certainly eat the gelatinous liquid from the nopales. Many people do not like the sliminess, but it is a valuable nutritional component. Gelatin, or mucilage, from Nopales and other vegetables like okra and kelp build cartilage in our bodies. Cartilage gives elasticity to our skin and support to our joints. So, eating as much of it as you can get is a good thing! Marshmallows are an example of a food that was originally made from the mucilaginous liquid of the mallow root. Sugar was added and then the liquid was whipped until it made soft peaks. The soft peaks were then baked in the oven much like a meringue.
Great idea to use liquid
Cooking cactus with bacon is amazing! I know you said you’re vegan but for those who aren’t— while they’re boiling cut bacon into about 2” squares and cook them— when almost done add the cactus put on low or simmer and add the lid for about 10-15 minutes.
Heather,
Thanks for your suggestion: cooking cactus with bacon. The bacon really enrich the cactus flavor otherwise I felt the cactus tasted a little flat.
My husband loved it too.
Always happy to please the whole family!
My favorite cactus recipe. 1 jar of cactus, rinsed chopped, and the pepper removed (and eaten)
One little box of pico de gallo in the produce section (or make your own. 3 or 4 diced tomatoes, a jalepeno seeded, a small diced onion, and a handful of chopped cilantro. Yeah, I know, its a pretty precise recipe). An avocado or two diced up. Lemon juice squeezed over to taste, and salt. Optional, add some shrimp or whatever to make it a true ceviche. Grab a sleeve of tostada chips, and again optionally, sprinkle with queso fresco (small wheels of soft white mexican cheese) We regularly do these as the main and only dinner course. Also makes a cool pot luck item. Just hold telling them what it is until the find out they like it.
Love your last sentence ! I do this all the time. People are so head strong on trying new things.
As an added bonus nopal is one of the best things for regulating blood sugar levels.
My husband introduced me to Nopales! I didn’t like them much at firs (ew goo!), but this summer we grilled them over our fire pit and I have become a bit addicted to them! Yum! Since its snowy and cold where i am, I wanted to find a way to cook them inside! So I tried sautéing them, and it turned out delicious too!
I eat Nopales all the time. I am able to buy them all cleaned, thorns removed and sliced at Smart and Final.. I put them in everything. Soups, salads, burritos, scrambled eggs, homemade salsa, tacos. They have documented medicinal properties like aiding in stabilizing blood sugars. I did check that in the medical literature. Every little bit helps when dealing with diabetes— which, luckily, I do not have.
Hi! I am a vegan from Mexicali (Mexico) -about 5 hours driving distance from Arizona- and nopales are a common ingredient in my house, we have like 20 nopales plants in my garden… so I believe it is my duty to give you a typical Mexican dish recipe 😀 .. I think my favorite nopales recipe is very simple, here you go:
ENSALADA DE NOPAL
(serves about 4 people as a side dish)
– 5 nopales
– juice of 2 or 3 limes
– 2 or 3 firm diced tomatoes
– 1/3 diced red onion
– 1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro
– salt and pepper to taste
– 1 chopped fresh jalapeño (optional… we love spicy over here!)
1. Boil water in a pot with a bit of salt. Add the nopales and let them simmer for about 30 seconds. Let the cover on so they can finish cooking by themselves (for about 3 minutes). TIP #1: You don’t need much water… only enough to barely cover them. TIP #2: I have seen my mom put tomatillo leaves or baking soda while they boil… she says it helps absorb the “goo”.
2. Get them out of the pot so they don’t overcook and drain them. They should be tender. Let them cool while you chop the rest of the ingredientes.
3. Mix all the ingredients. Once the nopales are at room temperature -or colder- you can add them to the mix.
4. Taste and adjust ingredients if necessary.
5. Enjoy!
You can eat it now or let it chill in the freezer… it is tasty either way. We usually eat it with salted crackers, tostadas or soft tortillas. 🙂
Oh my goodness that sounds SO good and perfect for the warmer weather! I can’t wait to try it. Maybe I’ll post it on the blog! 🙂 thank you for sharing!!
Glad you liked it!
I also like to put a raw nopal into my morning smoothie. For example, today I had a smoothie with nopal, strawberries, pineapple, beetroot, banana, oats, hemp seeds, medjool dates, chia and almond milk 🙂
I have also had “agua fresca” of nopal, pineapple and cilantro… it is delicious and healthy.. you only have to mix all the ingredients with the sweetener of your choice and drain it. Something like this:
http://www.rachellaudan.com/2008/04/agua-fresca-5-agua-de-pina-pineapple-and-variants.html
As you can see, we love nopales and they have many uses for it… 😀
Wow, I would NEVER have thought to put nopales in a smoothie. I don’t know if I’m that adventurous yet! But that agua fresca sounds totally incredible. I’m accumulating summertime “mocktails” in case of potential family starting, and that sounds perfect. You’re making me hungry.. and craving a trip to the Mexican market!
I’m a first timer at cooking nopales. Followed directions for cooking. Used a spghetti pot so i could drain them easily. The insides taste great but the skins are tough and I needed to spit them out after tasting/chewing. What am I doing wrong.
Your nopales or cactus pads are probably too old. Young, tender, bright green pads are the best. If the nopal pad is about the size of a large hand they are just about perfect.
I have totallly seen nopales at the grocery store before and had NO idea what anyone would use them for. This is awesome. I am definitely going to pick some up and try them next time I see them on the shelf. I didn’t know you used to live in Arizona! We lived in Arizona for a few months (Marc was traded there at the end of a season a few years back) and I loved it there. Maybe that’s where I saw the nopales!
You live such a crazy life, I’m kind of jealous! Where in AZ? And yes, I’m sure you saw them there! They basically coated Texas grocery stores and AZ is even worse! You should fix some arrachera steak with slices of the nopales and then that manchego (which iphone is amusingly correcting to “man chefs”) cheese. Ughhh. You’ll love it 🙂
Love this, Cheryl! I have never cooked with cactus before but I see them for sale at my local ShopRite and I have seen nopales tacos at local taquerias too. Btw- I didn’t realize you had a second blog! Love it!
Yeah, writing one blog wasn’t crazy enough, I thought I’d start a second – ha! And yes, you definitely have to pick up some paddles and try them for yourself. They’re super yum! Thanks for visiting Mallory 🙂